Emotional intelligence and resilience

•The influence of ability-based EI on the stress process was examined.•EI ability facilitates challenge – increased positive and decreased negative affect, and evoked physiology.•The study provides predictive validity for EI as a stress resilience factor.

This study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and the stress process. Participants (N = 126) completed an ability-based measure of EI and then engaged with two stressors. We assessed stressor appraisals, emotions, and physiological stress responses over time. We expected that higher EI would facilitate stress responses in the direction of challenge, rather than threat. As expected, EI facets were related to lower threat appraisals, more modest declines in positive affect, less negative affect and challenge physiological responses to stress. However, findings differed for men and women. This study provides predictive validity that EI facilitates stress resilience.